Responsible tourism

Environment

Wildlife - our conservation expeditions help us preserve the unique and stunning marine wildlife in the Mediterranean Sea. Dolphins, whales, sea turtles and seabirds are an essential part of our ocean ecosystem. As we sail to protect and study them, are approach is non-invasive and non-aggressive. We never follow, chase or harass the animals needlessly. We have nothing but respect for these beautiful creatures and the planet we all share. We try to pass on our ethos to all of our volunteers and collaborators. All of our research is carried out under full governmental permits and standard.

Waste - Where possible, we try and run a sustainable ship. During our days at sea, we encounter a lot of floating plastic. We try our best to fish it out of the ocean, clearing the sea of dangerous objects that could harm marine life. On board, we have tried to eliminate as much plastic consumption as possible. To feed our hungry crew, we buy fruits and vegetables from local and organic farmers. Not only does this support the local communities, it provides us with nutritious fresh ingredients and helped us reduce our plastic consumption by 90%! We have also installed a watermaker. When at sea, we can desalinate seawater and make our own fresh water! This means we dont need to carry plastic bottles on board, and we invite our volunteers to bring their own reusable bottles.

Beyond practical solutions, we strive to have solution focused conversations with our crew, talking about the challenges and benefits of sustainable living and waste consumption. How can we combat ocean plastics as individuals? After a week, can we leave the sea a cleaner place than we found it? More than anything, we hope to share our vision for a future with less waste and a more sustainable lifestyle, but more than anything we are always open to new ideas and invite our volunteers to share their own stories with us.

Community

Campaigning for change - every year, we run a local competition for schools in the community, helping to raise awareness about the issue of plastic pollution. Hundreds of students form teams to combat this global plastic challenge, starting local. The teams present us with different solutions to reduce plastic within their schools and communities. Engaging the next generation is a large part of our work and we welcome students on board our ship on various occasions. All ages welcome! This project is a great success and has been nominated for awards.

Volunteering & charity - The volunteering work we carry out as a charity supports local communities that have a stake in the ocean, by protecting their natural heritage and providing open sources data. This includes MPA officials, fishermen and women, coastal communities and island communities, research institutions, local NGOs and schools. Moreover, our trip is a chance to visit this part of the world in a completely unique and sustainable way.